Why Do Glass Pool Fencing Panels Explode ?

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    What Glass Pool Fencing Made Of ?

    Glass pool fencing is made from toughened glass. And because toughened glass is robust , durable and long-lasting, it satisfies regional glass pool fence regulations and standards for glass pool fencing. Tempered and toughened glass, which refers to the same kind of glass in general, is created especially for certain applications where a greater strength glass is required.

    How Strong Is Glass Pool Fencing?

    Tempered glass used in frameless glass pool fence is 12mm thick (gates are 8mm/12mm), heated to more than 700 degrees Celsius during manufacturing, and is so robust that it can be thrown on concrete without shattering in most situations however it can still explode when you least expect it.

    Why Do Glass Pool Fences Explode ?

    Manufacturing Defects In The Glass

    The most common cause for glass fencing to explode is weaknesses or defects in the glass although is is still a rare event that will occur.Toughened glass has a tremendous amount of energy, and all of that energy is attempting to escape. Microscopic pebbles (called nickel sulphide inclusions) may get trapped within toughened glass during the production process. The pebbles might weaken the glass and cause it to burst when it expands and contracts with heat.

    Installation Fault

    While improperly placed glass panels are a typical installation fault, the most common installation error is inappropriate handling of the glass fence during installation. Any minor nicks or chips on the edge or corners of glass will cause stress and we may the glass over time, causing it to shatter or break. It is also possible for glaziers to nick or damage the edges of glass when moving and installing it. As the glass expands over time, tension may build up, resulting in breaking or shattering of the glass.

    Incorrect Frame Installation

    With temperature fluctuations, glass expands and contracts, and wind causes it to deflect. The glass will bond and stick against the frame if there isn’t room left around the unit’s perimeter. This can also cause stress to the edges of glass making it more susceptible to shattering.

    Signs Your Glass Fencing Panels Maybe at Risk for Exploding

    It is possible to determine if a panel of tempered glass is likely to shatter. If impurities are spreading within the glass they create a distinct butterfly pattern, which serves as visible evidence of this. These become particularly obvious after the panel begins to crack (but has not yet shattered). Most times Impurities or inclusions in glass cannot be detected or removed during the production process so keep an eye out for these patterns and inspect your glass panels in particular after a bad weather event.

    Conclusion

    Glass pool fencing isn’t fail safe , no glass type is so whilst you may have seen some pieces in the news about exploding and shattering glass panel fencing its important to put this into context . The quality and safety of the glass panels we use are the very best found in Australia and the risk or chances of one shattering are so low they are not worth the time to worry about . So check out our 5 reasons to choose glass pool fencing for more details of how we can help you.